Causecast

by AARON HORWITZ, Contributing Writer

On April 22nd, the first film from Disney’s new Disneynature division was released in theaters across the country. Simply yet appropriately titled Earth, the film is an epic journey around the globe that gives the viewer an incredible portrait of our planet’s most amazing natural wonders. Majestic animals, desolate landscapes and astounding aquatic life are only a small taste of what’s in store in this powerful new documentary.

Narrated by the booming voice of James Earl Jones, Earth starts by dropping us in the North Pole with a family of polar bears. Almost immediately after a few cutesy bear cub shots, we are shown that all is not rosy for this family—much of their life is a brutal struggle for survival. Similarly, we meet a family of whales and a herd of elephants along the way who face similar trials and perils in their quest to survive.

These stories form what little narrative thread there is in the film, but really, Earth is just one beautiful 99-minute celebration of what Disneynature calls “the wonders of the world we live in.” And what a world it is. If you were a fan of BBC/Discovery’s groundbreaking Planet Earth series, much of what you see here should look a bit familiar. The film was made in partnership with that gang, so about 35% of the footage (just my rough estimate) was taken directly from that series. However, seeing it on the big screen is an entirely new experience, and even without it, the new footage Disney has captured is easily the most eye-popping nature photography I’ve ever seen.

Time-lapse shots show the entire seasonal change in forests, savannahs, the Arctic circle, and then some. An intense night scene shows a group of lions in a rare clash with elephants, and two amazing sequences involving cheetahs and great white sharks separately are slowed down to such an extent that the hunt actually becomes a thing of beauty.

For all you parents out there, not to worry. While it can sometimes get a tad intense, it is after all a Disney film; not a drop of blood is shown along the way. The narration is fairly interesting to listen to, and yet, simple enough to be understood by all ages. This was one of my few complaints; in the interest of keeping things moving and kid-friendly, we actually learn very little about each species covered (although to learn extensively about each would have taken a week). Nevertheless, the film is at times heartbreaking to watch, and I applaud Disney for showing that in reality, not all creatures live happily ever after (though most in this film do).

Disneynature promises to release one new film per year, with 2010 bringing Oceans our way. I can’t wait to take the plunge.

You can check out the beautiful trailer for Earth now.

Earth is rated G and is currently playing in North American theaters.

My grade: B+